Climate of the Pribilof Islands
This page was written by Jeanette Wolak and Erin Klauk as part of the DLESE Community Services Project: Integrating Research in Education.
Black Bluffs on St. Paul Island, Alaska.
DetailsThe Pribilof Islands, located in the south-central Bering Sea, are part of a marine ecosystem with a sub-arctic climate.
Temperatures on St. Paul Island and St. George Island have become warmer over the past 50 years, leading to a decrease of sea-ice in the winter and warmer annual temperatures overall (Bering Sea Climate and Ecosystem (more info) ). This climate change has significantly affected populations of flora and fauna in the Pribilofs, including seabirds, marine mammals, fish, and whales in the Bering Sea. Click here for more information about flora and fauna in the Pribilofs.
To further investigate the climate of the Pribilof Islands, check out the links below:
Climate of the Pribilofs
Resources containing information about the climate of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska.
- Bering Sea Climate and Ecosystem. This NOAA website provides current information on the Bering Sea ecosystem and climate. Links within the site lead to detailed information about the current state of the local environment, including atmospheric conditions and ocean temperatures. Additional links lead to essays and information about recent shifts in the North Pacific climate system, and the effect that this change has on every niche in this unique ecosystem. (more info)
- Is the Climate of the Bering Sea Warming and Affecting the Ecosystem?. [Overland and Stabeno, 2004] This journal article presents information on climate change in the Bering Sea region over a period of 42 years (1961-2003) and highlights the possible effects on marine wildlife in the Bering Sea ecosystem. Much of the climate information presented in this paper was collected on St. Paul Island. Many figures accompany the text and include graphical representations of monthly air temperature anomalies on St. Paul Island and maps of sea floor temperatures along the Bering Sea shelf. (Full Text Online)
For ideas on how to use these webpages in a classroom, a
Study Guide is provided.
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